With Him
by Princess Antanasia the Vampire
Summary: Rose wants to fulfill her promise to Dimitri, but in the cabin they weren't careful enough and Rose became the first dhampir to be pregnant with the child of another dhampir. Little Dimka will change everything.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: Slightly AU only because of the whole dhampir having a child with a dhampir thing. Trivia: Spot the title both times! The first to send the correct two answers to me in a review will get exclusive info on a scene I may or may not put in the story. Think a birthday party, Rose, a five year old 'birthday boy', and a close male friend (Lissa's other guardian, Adam). No, I'm most certainly not giving up on, or taking a break from 'Why She Left' so posts on this one may be a bit farther apart.**

**RPOV-Introduction**

My name is Rose Hathaway, and I'm a dhampir. As of the last several years, my life has been totally up the creek. My best friend and moroi protégée, Lissa Dragomir, was being stalked by her creepy uncle who wanted her to heal him from his terminal disease with her amazing elemental power, Spirit. We escaped from the school where we had both grown up, St. Vladimir's Academy. After two years on the run, we were caught by the school authorities. To catch me up in my guardian training, I was assigned a mentor. His name: Dimitri Belikov. He was the most gorgeous person on the planet, and probably still is, I just haven't seen him recently (more on that soon). To make a long story short, we fell completely in love with each other. Of course, it was totally forbidden, because he was my mentor, seven years older than me, but most importantly, we were both going to be Lissa's guardians. If we loved each other, than we would protect the other one before Lissa. At a point in time, we promised each other if the other person became strigoi (they're the bad vampires), the one who remained would kill them. Only moments before the beginning of the epic battle where he was turned strigoi against his will battle, Dimitri and I had finally acknowledged our love and done _it_. I wanted to set out to fulfill my promise, but I was hindered. You see, up until recently, it had been the belief of everyone in my world that dhampir+ dhampir= absolutely nothing. And now as I needed to leave to keep my word to my beloved, I found I had become the first dhampir to become pregnant with the child of a fellow dhampir. Obviously, now I was in no way going to endanger the life of Dimitri's child and go on a mission that practically screamed suicide. I couldn't, not when the baby inside me was what kept me with him. It was part of him. Oh, how I loved my unborn baby. Two people knew of my pregnancy, Lissa, and my mother. The reason was I didn't want moroi and dhampir scientists studying me and my baby like an experiment. Now that I had graduated, Lissa and I were attending a college of her choice, and truth be told, I couldn't even retain the name. I was so lost not having Dimitri to guide me. I mean, I could protect Lissa fine, but emotionally, I was a train wreck.

****

**RPOV**

"Rose, you look awful." Lissa said as I washed my face.

"Tell me something I don't know." I muttered. To tell the absolute truth, pregnancy was a bitch. At first, my mother had practically begged me to do an abortion, but that stopped when I told her who the father was. She _had_ freaked out, though. I expected her to, but _jeez_. I mean, she's Janine Hathaway, queen of calm. It kind of weirded me out, seeing her freak, that is. "Don't bite my head off." She snapped. "Sorry," I said. I dried my face and stood up.

"Hey, Lissa, Rose, good morning." Came a familiar voice.

"Hello, Adam." I sighed to the other guardian assigned to Lissa.

"Rose, you don't look great." He said upon seeing my face. I gave him a fierce glare. "Jus' sayin'." He said hurriedly. I sighed again.

"I know. I do look awful. I think I'm sick." Adam didn't know. It helped that I was pretty small.

"Let me know if I can help." He said sympathetically. Nausea swept over me and I sprinted to the bathroom. Lissa was behind me, holding my hair back as I leaned over the toilet and puked my guts out. "Yeah, Rose, you're sick. You're off duty today." Adam said from the doorway. Lissa made a noise of agreement. "Fine." I gasped. Adam turned and left to give us privacy. "And they say it only gets better." I muttered to Lissa.

****

**5 years**

**RPOV**

"Dimka!" I called. My child raced to me.

"Hi Mommy." He said as I lifted him up. I held him to my chest. At four, he was the spitting image of his father, his namesake. "What're we doing today?" He asked in his sweet little voice.

"Well baby, Auntie Lissa and I are going to the Court today so Uncle Chris volunteered to watch you-" he interrupted me,

"Because we all know how much he _loves_ the Court." I laughed, and continued.

"That is if, of course you don't want to come." I finished. He looked at me with shining eyes.

"Really, Mommy, can I? Can I please?" He begged. Unlike Christian, my son adored the royal moroi. They simply adored him; even Tatiana herself would scoop him up and give him kisses. And believe me; he had every one of them around his finger. But there you go; he's my son after all. My attitude and charm and the physical appearance of my soulmate. He had no idea what he was. Every moroi who knew (the queen, Lissa, Christian, and a couple other trusted people) were simultaneously intrigued and wary. The dhampirs who knew were ecstatic. Dimka gave them a hope for bettering the survival of our race. But to me? He was my Dimka, my link to Dimitri. He kept me with him. "Go get dressed." I instructed. "The royals won't _like_ my t-rex pajamas?" He cried. I laughed.

"No, they'd adore them." I said in aside to Adam who approached as Dimka scampered away.

"That kid…" Adam trailed off, shaking his head indulgently.

"I know." I sighed resting my head on his shoulder. Adam was the closest thing to a brother I could hope for, and he was the male figure in my son's life. Dimka adored 'Auntie Lissa' and 'Uncle Chris' but that boy could go on forever about 'Uncle Adam'. As my grinning son reappeared before us, wearing corduroys and polo, I jerked away, lest my son get any ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: To you awesome reviewers, I love you to death!! And to those who answered the contest, thanks! The winner was: **xXxLiZbetHxXx**. The second place, and only other to respond was: **Roza-Belikov24**. Thanks so much to everyone! I love you all! And don't forget to review. So sorry about the long wait though. Hopefully this chapter will compensate. This chapter, or the part of it where Rose breaks down, is totally dedicated to the song If You Only Knew by Shinedown. Listen to it if you've never heard it. It's amazing. It's from their album The Sound of Madness. Great album. Some other music that inspires me is anything Evanescence, Paramore, and Owl City. Thank them for half of the inspiration that comes at 1:00 am. Which is totally at least three-quarters of this chapter.**

**RPOV**

"Princess, how wonderful." The queen gushed, planting kisses on her cheeks. "And Rose, Adam." She greeted us in the professional way used towards guardians. She the noticed Dimka peeking out from behind my leg. "And little Dimka! How wonderful!" She cried, picking him up. He allowed himself to be squashed into a hug. His 'tolerance' was really his way of staying in control. My devious little child. After a little bit, he reached for me, and I took him from Tatiana. She looked at him adoringly as he wrapped his arms around my neck. "What a wonderful boy you have, Rose." She complimented. I smiled graciously. "Thank you, Ma'am." I replied equally diplomatically. She went off to greet someone else and I sighed in relief. But it was only the beginning.

*****

"Oh, my god. I am ex-_hausted_!" I said to Lissa. She laughed. She was sitting next to Dimka in the middle row of the inconspicuous black SUV. Adam was driving. I was behind them in the back. I laughed too as I craned my neck to peer at my sleeping son. "Shh." I warned.

"You know, Rose, back before we ran away from school, I never could have seen you as maternal, but now…It's like a full 180." Lisa commented.

"I guess." I agreed halfheartedly. I looked back to Dimka. He looked like an angel, with his face pressed against Lissa's shoulder. "Lissa…" I sigh.

"Yeah?" She asked. I looked at Adam. She followed my gaze.

"I'll tell you later." I said and she nodded. Adam laughed.

"Do you really not trust me?" He asked, pretending to be offended.

"No, Adam. I do not trust you, my partner in guarding my best friend. I do not trust you, the closest thing I have to a brother. No, I do not trust you, the most prominent male figure in the life of my son. Why in the world would I trust you?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. We all laughed.

"So I'm assuming it's just one of those weird girl things, right?" He asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for understanding." My voice was serious now. He nodded.

"I'm always here for you girls." He said.

"Thank you, Adam." Lissa said.

"What the hell would I do without you, Adam?" I sighed. Then a sleepy voice said,

"Mommy, you said a bad word." I had to smile.

"I'm sorry, baby. Mommy didn't know you were up." I told him. I heard his yawn and knew he wouldn't be up for long. "S'okay Mommy." He said with another yawn.

*****

"Rose, are you okay?" Lissa asked. We were alone. Dimka was asleep and Adam and Christian was who knows where. "No, Lissa. I don't think so." I gulp. She recognized my holding back my tears.

"It's okay." She whispered. "Go ahead and cry."

"Lissa, it's not okay. I miss him so much. I can't stand it." She looked at me empathetically.

"What triggered the memories?" She asked almost inaudibly.

"When I told Adam that he's the most prominent male figure in Dimka's life." I choke.

"But it's true," Lissa said, bewildered.

"Yes, but it should be Dimitri. Why couldn't it be Dimitri?" I cry. She pulls me toward her and wraps her arms around me. "It's not fair." I continued. "Dimitri should be with me, with his son. Why is there Adam in Dimitri's place?" I sobbed into her shoulder.

"Rose, Rose, _Rose_!" Lissa said forcefully, making me look her in the eyes.

"What?" I sniff. She grips my shoulders and holds me at arms length.

"Dimitri is gone. He is never coming back. Loving and wishing he was here are fine, but they won't change reality. Dimitri is a strigoi. If he came back, he wouldn't care. He would more likely kill us all. Here, in real-life land, there is Adam, a man who cares about us-about you-about Dimka. He may not be Dimitri, he may not be able to replace Dimitri, but let him fill the gap." I gaped at her in astonishment.

"How could you say that?" I cried. "I can't believe you just said that!" I got up to walk away.

"No-Rose-don't go, I don't know why I said that!" She pleaded.

"I know why. Because you have your happily ever after, and want me to have mine." I turned back around and hugged her. "You could have put it in a nicer way, though." I admitted. She smiled weakly.

"You're right. I could have said it nicer, but I won't take it back, though. I truly believe it. You need to let go." I closed my eyes.

"You're right. I _know_ that you're right. Then why won't I let myself?" I asked rhetorically.

"Because want there to be a way for Dimitri to return." She told me. I put my head in my hands.

"The worst part is that I think you're right." I groaned. "My life is a disaster." I choked out a harsh laugh. "Your life is not a disaster." She consoled.

"Then it's well on its way to being one." She burst out in laughter. "I'm glad you find this amusing." I growled. She just laughed harder. In spite of myself, I began to giggle as well. "Rose, you're such a drama queen." Lissa told me, through her hysterics. I loved her more than almost anyone else. More than anyone except Dimka. She knew me better than any person on this planet. Through the bond, I felt her concern for me, her relief that she had consoled me for the time being. There was absolutely nothing like a best friend who loves you. Nothing in the world.

******

"Hey Rose," I heard Adam say softly.

"Yeah?" I asked. He grabbed my arm.

"I heard you and Lissa…" he began and I panicked. How much had he heard!? Seeing my terrified expression, he quickly added, "Just the end when you said your life is a disaster." I breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just that-" he paused. "It's not a disaster Rose. We all care about you so much. You have Dimka, Lissa, me, and hell, even Christian." We both laughed a little. "What I'm saying is that, Rose, I…" he stopped talking and leaned down towards me. Oh, my god! He was trying to kiss me. I was about to pull away, but he was too fast. Our lips met. His mouth was soft and warm. I wanted to respond, my body was pushing me, but I wrenched away. "Adam, no. I'm sorry." I said.

"It's fine, Rose. I just thought you cared about me, in you know, _that_ way." He mumbled. Tears welled up in my eyes. "Sometimes," I whispered. "I tell myself that I should. Sometimes I wish I did. And sometimes," I gulped. "And sometimes, I wonder if I do." I began crying again. He pulled me into a hug. "Maybe someday." I said into his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN/ SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry about the time delay. School has been nuts. To make up for it, you get a really long one.**

**Lissa gets a little wacky when buying Dimka a birthday present.**

**Janine (she's a little ooc, because I am not perfect, and I have problems with her) wants to make up with Dimka what she missed with Rose.**

**And I know it's gonna be controversial, but I'm gonna give Adam the love he deserves, via Rose. Not permanent, I promise.**

**And you guys can give me the love I deserve with reviews. You know what? Tell me what you think about my little RosexAdam scene. The opinions and reviews I find to be the most…clearly stated or exuberant or if it just makes me feel more warm-fuzzies than usual, I'll post it with the next chapter (probably just a sentence here and there, most probably not full reviews). If you don't want me posting your views, just tell me in the review.**

**P.s: Rose mentions the name Craig. Craig is not important. He is Christian's Guardian. He may pop back up.**

"Really, Lissa? Really?" I groaned.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked, puzzled.

"The fact that it costs $300." I moaned. She shrugged.

"It's nothing." She said nonchalantly. I made a face.

"My god, woman! You're not buying that goddam outfit for my son!" I cried. She held up the child sized tuxedo. Yes, my wacky BFF wanted to by my soon to be five year old son a _tux_. "Think how _cute_ he'll look in it." She wheedled. I shook my head.

"I don't care if it _is_ for his birthday! You are _not_ spending that amount of money on my son!" I practically yelled. People stared. Well of course they did, it was a Guardian's ultimate nightmare to be in public and be drawing attention. And circumstances just couldn't be in my favor. "It's also from Christian." She whined.

"Like that makes it better." I grumbled.

"It should." She huffed indignantly.

"Oh for goodness' sake!" I cried. "Fine!" She made this high pitched squealing noise and headed straight for the register, lest I change my mind. The smallest things made her happy. Actually, $300 was nothing to sneeze at. So, let me rephrase, the smallest, most ridiculously expensive things made her happy. I followed closely behind her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adam standing inconspicuously standing by the door. With a slight tilt of my head, I beckoned to him. He nodded and headed over. He sidled up next to me and murmured in my ear. "That was very nice of you- giving in like that. I never would have." I grimaced.

"I don't like it- I mean she's spending hundreds of dollars, and when the hell will he wear it?" He put an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me. "Always looking to make her happy." He commended. Something flashed in my peripheral vision. I whipped my head to the side, just in time to be hit on it. I dodged most of the blow, but I caught enough of it to see stars. Adam sprung into action. As did I. I turned to face my attacker. "Adam!" I cried. "Take Lissa!" I sensed him doing as instructed, but I didn't see. I was totally focused on the attack. The assailant was decidedly male and he was wearing a black ski mask. Which was weird 'cause strigoi didn't really care who caught them. He reached for me again. I countered, grabbing his wrist. I bent it back and heard a snap. It had broken. This was also weird because a strigoi was a bit less fragile than this. But that didn't occur to me until afterward. I snap-kicked his side and he went down gasping for breath. He reached up, and that time I realized what I had missed the first times. He wanted my purse. This man was completely human and I had gone vampire on his ass. Whoops. Plus more attention. I pressed my comms unit and the man scampered away. Adam responded. "You okay, Rose?" He asked frantically.

"Yeah. The other guy isn't, though." I muttered.

"Who was he? Why did he want Lissa?" He inquired.

"He didn't want Lissa." I admitted.

"What the hell? Why else would he go for her Guardian?" He wanted to know.

"He didn't. He went for a random distracted woman with expensive looking clothes." I told him. He snorted.

"Are you saying that he attempted to _mug_ you!?" He laughed.

"Yep. Refreshing isn't it?" I said cynically.

"Honestly, yeah it is." He chuckled.

"Where do you have Lissa?" I asked.

"We're in the J. C. Penny all the way down to the right after leaving the store into the mall." He informed me. I started on my way out. I walked down the vast corridor. I spotted J. C. Penny and jogged over. I found Adam trying to pull Lissa away from a display of jeans. "C'mon, Lissa. Do you really need more jeans?" I asked.

"Yes." Came the prompt response.

"No you don't. You never wear the ones you have." Adam said. Adam got a glare.

"Lissa. Please, for me? I'm a bit…hmmm. Shaken isn't the right word. I'm just kind of shell shocked that I was mugged. Strigoi? I can handle them. Getting mugged? I'm- stunned." I muttered more to myself than Lissa.

"That's because you're so used to paranormal threats that getting mugged is out of the ordinary." She explained coming to put her arm around me. I looked back at Adam who was looking wildly between me and the jeans display, wondering how on earth Lissa had moved from one to the other. The three of us moved to leave the store.

*****

"Mommy!" Was the first thing I heard. Bounding from the kitchen, with dirty hands outstretched, was my Dimka. "Mommy!" He called again.

"Hey, Baby." I cried melodramatically as he leapt into my arms. He shoved his hands right in front of my face and told me to look. I looked. They were sticky with what appeared to be…cake batter. _That_ confused me, I must say because we had left him with Christian, and unless Christian had left the land of the sexually straight (or every personality trait I had seen in him over the past six years I'd known him had been a lie on his part or misinterpreted on my part), he wouldn't bake. Not. Ever. Not even if given Puppy Eyes by Dimka. "You, my friend, are a mess." I told my son.

"Come." He used one sticky finger to point to the kitchen. This could get interesting. I carried Dimka to where he pointed. I used my shoulder to push open the saloon style doors and froze. It got interesting. Standing there, with flour in her hair and on her face, with cake batter on her apron, and a mixing bowl in her hands was my mother. "Hey Rose." She said brightly. I nearly fainted. Our relationship had improved in these past years but not enough that she could randomly and unannounced show up without me going into shock. "Hi, Mom." I stammered, wondering if the strigoi had replaced her with an evil clone. "I don't want to sound rude by any means, but why are you _here_!?" I asked, knowing that there was a catch. She smiled. I had never realizes that she had a pretty smile. Why hadn't I noticed this before? "I'm here for my grandson's birthday." She said as if she were the type to _care_ about birthdays. As if it was natural for her. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this woman has no maternal instincts. I mean she _gave me a black eye_ when I was in high school. Why the hell would they kick in with Dimka? "What are you gonna give him a shiner for a birthday present." I pointed at a picture on the wall, taken on Christmas of senior year, of Lissa and me. The skin surrounding my eye was a sickly yellow- green. She glared, as if she were contemplating doing it again. "No, actually I bought him a similar _nazar_ to the one I gave you, you know for the Christmas in that picture." She pointed. "Except smaller. Set in a leather bracelet."

"I'm sure he'll love it." I said icily, forgetting that he was in my arms. It was fine; he was totally immersed in his own imaginings. "Hey, baby." I said, addressing Dimka.

"Yeah, Mommy?" He asked.

"Why don't you go and wash up in the bathroom?" I suggested, putting him down. Sensing that it was not merely a suggestion, he scampered off. Both my mother and I watched him go. "Did you know the _nazar_ is not only a Turkish thing?" My mother asked as if she didn't want to rip my face off.

"Really?" I asked as if I didn't want to rip hers off.

"Yep, such as in Judaism, people wear bracelets of small ones, or they wear them in the center of the Hand of Miriam, and in India, they have rituals with smoke to banish an evil eye. It's fascinating." She continued.

"He's out of ear-shot, Mom." I informed her. She abruptly switched gears.

"I will _not_ tolerate such insolence from my daughter." She snapped.

"Then why did you come, because I'm sure you knew you were gonna get it!" I quipped.

"I came because like it or not Dimka is my grandson and I want to do right by him. Make sure he grows up correctly." She retorted, her voice rising.

"Is _that_ what this is about!? You were- _are_ an awful mother so I have to be one by default!?" I cried.

"No! I'm not saying that!" My mother defended herself. "You're half right. I'm a god- awful mom, and I want to be a better grandmother." I felt faint. My mother was admitting that she was imperfect. She wanted to be better. Wow…

"I don't know what to say…" I muttered.

"I do." My mom whispered. "I'm sorry for sucking so bad." She started tearing a little bit. Was this my mother or was she replaced by an evil clone? Or a not evil clone as the case may be.

"It's okay…" I said awkwardly. She fiercely scrubbed at her eyes. I gave her an embarrassed hug.

"I plan on sending him to St. Vlad's, when he gets a little older, if that's okay with you." I murmured.

"It's very okay. If it St. Vladimir's wasn't okay with me, would I have sent you there?" She laughed. I gave a half- hearted smile. Saving me the rest of the awkward moment, Dimka ran back in. Thinking about why I had sent him, I halted him as he tried to run past me.

"What, Mommy?" He sighed.

"Inspection." I instructed. He held his hands out as I detangled myself from my own mother. I peered at his hands which in his haste he had neglected to dry after washing. I took them in my own hands, running my fingers over his palms.

"All clean." I admitted, not letting him go until I had kissed every one of his fingers. He giggled, and returned the kiss on my cheek, which he could reach because I was leaning down. After he was done with me, he turned to Mom.

"Gramma, you said I could lick the bowl." He dictated. Smiling, Mom picked up the bowl she had abandoned on the counter. She quickly poured it into the nearby bunt pan and handed the empty mixing bowl to Dimka who attacked the dregs of batter. My mom cleared her throat.

"So, what is the living arrangement here?" My mom asked me conversationally.

"Um…obviously, it's Lissa and Christian's house. They live in the main part of the house." I explained. "There is a separate wing where Adam and Craig share a room and where my room is. Dimka has his own room in the same wing." My mom looked puzzled.

"How do you guys get quickly to Lissa and Christian in an emergency?" She asked.

"It's relatively close." I brushed it off. She shrugged. I heard a bang and jumped to alertness. So did my mom next to me. Guardian instinct. We bolted to the hallway. Adrenaline surged through me. I was tensed for a major fight. Unnecessarily. The bang we had heard was Christian pushing Lissa against the hall table in a passionate embrace. Both Adam and Craig skidded down the hall, Adam still holding a hand of cards, and from what I could see, it was a pretty good one. Lissa and Christian then noticed that they had scared their guardians to hell. Christian eased away from Lissa. "Sorry." Lissa muttered sheepishly.

"Lissa, I am going to kill you myself." Adam growled and the grouping of Guardians dispersed. My mother and I returned to the kitchen.

"Oh, my god." I muttered to my mom. She smiled. As I thought about my charge, I wondered about my mother's. "Mom, what about…what's your charge's name?" She laughed.

"I'm on a leave of absence." She explained. I nodded. A moment later, Adam wandered in. He gazed at Dimka for a second then ruffled his hair. Dimka didn't even glance away from the cake batter. Adam chuckled softly then looked at me and my mother.

"Guardian Hathaway, I thought that was you in the hallway when Lissa and Christian decided to scare us all to death." He laughed.

"It's me. And call me Janine." My mom said.

"Okay, Janine. Could you excuse Rose and me for a bit?" He asked her.

"Sure. I have to do the dishes I used anyway. If, that is, Dimka is done with the bowl." As if on cue, my son held up the mixing bowl which he had cleaned.

"Here, Gramma." He said, holding it out to her. She nodded to me and I left the room with Adam. We walked down the hall a little ways to the Guardian wing of the house. We were standing outside my bedroom door. We went in and shut it. Not that I knew whether this was going to be a private conversation or not.

"What's this about? Is Lissa in danger?" I asked urgently.

"No, is Lissa the only reason I can talk to you?" He challenged.

"No, but…?" I was confused.

"I wanted to talk to you about the other night, you know, when I kissed you…" he said. I bit my lip.

"Listen, Adam. You are amazing. I care about you, but I'm not sure that I care _that_ way. I- I really…" I started to cry.

"Rose, come on, don't cry…" he begged. I wiped away the tears. He came closer.

"Just let me sort out my feelings." I implored.

"Let me help you." He said and kissed me. I felt his lips part slowly beneath mine and automatically opened mine. Every instinct in me screamed for him. Except my instinct to protect those I loved. That one was pushing me away from Adam. He angled his head and came closer. Worst part was, I was responding with a similar passion to his. He backed off of me. His pupils were dilated and they engulfed almost all of his irises. He gazed at me hungrily as he backed toward the door. He put his hand on the door-knob, and I expected him to leave me with what he had given. Instead, he turned the lock and came close again. I approached him this time. We met in a passionate embrace, and then he pushed me on to the bed.

*****

"Ooooooh, wow." I sighed as I unlocked the door and went to face the rest of the world.

"Definitely." Adam agreed from behind me. My mind and emotions emerged from the closet I had locked it in. I swallowed.

"Adam, what if my answer is no? What if I _don't_ care like this?" I fretted.

"I can take rejection." He promised and we departed. I went to find Lissa and tell her about the incredible, yet emotionally confusing, things I'd been doing the past couple hours.


	4. Chapter 4

-----BIG IMPORTANT NOTICE-----

I have to write like this because not enough people read my author's notes. Please do this from now on, I put some important things in them. For now, I have big font. I have read Spirit Bound. Yes, I know exactly how, in Richelle Mead's world a Strigoi is restored to his/her former species. Unfortunately the end of this story depends on my own version of things. I am disrespecting neither she nor her genius. Just to clarify things. Plus Tatiana has already interacted with them in this. I would have excluded her if I had known she would be murdered in Spirit Bound.

**AN: This chapter is not as important as some to come are, but it's pivotal. Now, for those reviews I said I would post. In five days I am going to a Richelle Mead book signing! **

**Dimitri**

**Belikov's-Girl: **

_**WTF where is Dimitri, I am so confused... I thought this was a DxR story…**_

**Kanxkawaii:**

_**wut da hell did they do? plz tell they didnt have sex!**_

**Adam**

**ruthless527:**

…_**I like Adam. He and Rose need to be a couple…**_

**Jaycorkatbai:**

_**Why shouldn't rose have some fun with Adam?**_

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Dimka. Happy birthday to you."

"Make a wish, baby." I cried.

Dimka unintentionally blew a raspberry as he attempted to put out the five candles on his Transformers birthday cake. The flames flickered but refused to go out.

"Help, Mommy." He dictated.

I came up beside him and said, "On three, okay baby?" He nodded. I held up three fingers.

"One." I put down one finger.

"Two." I put down the second. Dimka took a deep breath preparing for blowing out of his birthday candles.

"Three." I took my own quick deep breath as I put my last finger down. We blew them out together.

He clapped his hands as they went out.

"What did you wish for, Sweet-heart?" I asked.

"Can't tell you, or it won't come true." He insisted.

"Okay, okay." I surrendered as I began to cut the cake with his hand on top of mine. I began to hand out cake to the family members and friends. My mom, Adam, Lissa, Craig. People close to me, to Dimka. Dimka got the largest piece of course. He was the birthday boy. After everyone was happily eating chocolate cake, I sat down. Adam plopped down on the arm of my chair.

"Great kid," he murmured.

I looked away. I had hardly spoken to him since…well…since we did what we did.

"Rose, you are going to have to talk to me sometime." He declared, but it sounded more like pleading to my ears.

"Adam, you told me that you could handle rejection." I reminded him.

"So this is rejection?" Adam clarified.

"Yes…no…maybe freaking so. Adam I don't know. I just don't know, alright? Do you want me to post it on Facebook? I mean, come on!" I growled.

He hopped off of the chair and walked away. I almost regretted it. Almost. At least this way he would be off of my back.

Apparently, the cake no longer held any interest for my son because he came over to me begging to open his presents. I allowed him. He tore through the wrapping on the gift from Lissa and Christian. He looked slightly crestfallen that he was now five years old and _still_ getting clothes for presents. However, he dutifully gave both my best friend and her husband hugs. Next he ripped the paper off of the gift he had received from my mother. He scrunched his nose at the jewelry box. He opened it anyway. The bracelet was fantastic for him. Next he turned to my gift. As he opened it with excitement, I discreetly collected the discarded cards from the previous presents. He appeared to be thrilled with the set of Hot Wheels cars I had bought him. He played with them for a minute before pouncing on Adam's gift. I stiffened. I sent Adam a Look. The large brightly wrapped box seemed to look just the right size and shape of the one thing I had told him that no matter how much Dimka begged, _not_ get. Dimka seemed to be thinking along those lines as well, but he seemed overjoyed. The paper was torn off in a flurry of rainbow color. My heart sank. Adam had bought the damn Nerf gun. The _one_, _single, solitary_ toy in the world that I didn't want my son to have. I had _told_ him, again and again. I had told the both of them 'no' too many times to count. But the expression of pure joy on my son's face softened my anger a bit. He gazed at the box in adoration, before blurting out,

"Thanks, Daddy!"

Heads swiveled towards me. The room was dead silent. Dimka seemed to realize that he had done something wrong, because his gleeful smile melted into a worried frown. I found myself in tears. Tears of despair. Dimka looked around the room, his stare resting upon me and upon my teary face.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" He asked walking over to me. He tried to climb onto my lap, but Mom intercepted him and nodded toward the exit. I acknowledged my thanks and I hustled out of there. As I left I heard Dimka ask my mother,

"Where's Mommy going?"

I heard my mother, G-d bless her, whispered, "Mommy needs a little time alone."

"Did I do something wrong?" I heard Dimka fret.

My mother, and everyone else, was silent.

"Rosemarie, Sweetheart?" My mother asked, tentatively pushing open the door and poking her head in.

"Hi, Mom." I whispered.

I felt it when she sat on the bed. She put her arm around me. I stiffened for a second before melting into her embrace.

"He didn't mean to. He's just so little. He made an honest mistake. He's tearing himself apart." She murmured.

"No! I can't let him hurt because I'm too stupid of a lovesick moron to brush off a child's slip of the tongue." I cried.

"I don't think you'd have this problem if he had said it to anyone besides Adam. You would most probably suffer a pang of longing, but you would be fine. It's the romantic tension between the two of you that makes it hurt. You feel that if you don't isolate yourself from every serious romantic prospect, you would be cheating on Dimitri. I felt the same way. Hell, I _feel_ the same way. About your father." I was stunned. My dad was not a particularly discussed topic between us. But I _was_ curious. How could I not be? My father. Half of my genetic makeup was given to me by a man whose name I had never been allowed to know. Now, unless I was dead wrong, she was about to give that information to me. I hadn't even asked.

"His name was- is Ibraham Mazur. I had barely been out of school when I met him. Nineteen. When I was twenty, as you know, I had you. The nazar I gave you- that had been is. He gave it to me not long after I'd given birth to you. I thought the whole 'evil eye' business was a bit ridiculous, but it made him happy for me to have it."

She gave me a moment to process. Unfortunately, with me, processing includes plotting.

"I have to go meet hm." I whispered.

My mom looked at me as if I was an alien.

"And abandon the Moroi you protect? Abandon Lissa?"

She was genuinely confused. She didn't understand the draw to meet my dad. All my life I had wished to know my father. Now that it was within my reach, I couldn't give up that chance.

"You're on a leave of absence." I reminded her.

She blushed. Actually blushed.

"That's because my partner in guarding Lord Szelsky is a seasoned guardian who can deal without me for a short while." She defended.

"Arthur Schoenberg was not only a seasoned Guardian, but a Guardian legend. They killed _him_." I said softly. My mom nodded.

"I guess I'll go." She said after a lengthy pause.

I gave her one last hug.

"And can you get Dimka?" I asked gently as she was heading out the door.

She didn't answer, but moments later, Dimka eased his way into the room, devoid of his usual show of boundless energy.

"Mommy?" He whimpered.

I held my arms wide open and he climbed on the bed. I surrounded him with my embrace. He nuzzled his face to my neck and I buried my own face in his hair. Dimka had to ask me why his head was getting wet before I realized I was sobbing.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" He pleaded. "What did I do?"

I stroked his hair.

"You did absolutely nothing wrong, baby." I promised.

"But why did you cry when I said…what I said?" I didn't fail to notice that he'd avoided repeating what he'd previously said. My kindergarten- aged baby was a diplomat already.

I smiled a little at him. Then I prepared to give him the comprehensible- to- a- five- year- old version of my miserable fail of a love life.

"Did you know that before Mommy had you, I was I school? Well, one day, I met a boy. We fell in love. We loved each other _so_ much that we had you together. His name was Dimitri just like yours." There I poked his belly, earning me a giggle.

"One day, when you were in Mommy's tummy, the Strigoi attacked." Dimka gasped and he grasped on to my shirt, frightened from just the idea.

"Did you get hurt, Mommy?" he asked.

"No." I sighed. "Now are you going to let me finish my story?"

He nodded eagerly. As long as I hadn't gotten hurt, he found the idea that I had fought Strigoi was just too cool to him.

"So, the Strigoi attacked us. Dimitri fought very hard to protect you and me, even though we didn't know about you back then. I fought, too. But your daddy…he protected _everyone_ in the entire school. But the Strigoi took him. They made your daddy into a Strigoi. And when you called Adam 'Daddy,' it made me realize how much I miss your real daddy."

Dimka gazed at me with his deep, dark eyes, so much like his namesake's and then he hugged me.

"Mommy," he whispered. His voice was muffled against my chest, so it took me a second to realize he was crying.

"What is it, baby?" I soothed, stroking his face.

"W-when I blew out my birthday candles…I…I wished I had a daddy." He croaked through his tears. A wave of fresh sobs ripped through me.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello, my fantastic readers! I have missed you all! Fun things happen this chapter! Well…not fun…it was fun for me to write. Except for the first little scene, it's quite the serious chapter. I snuck the first part in there because it's cute and because you've never really seen very much of the "mommy" aspect of Rose's life and I had to make its presence very clear. I have officially done something uncharacteristic of myself, and written an outline. I know exactly what will happen every chapter until the end. I can tell there will be twenty. I have the rough draft of chapters 19 and 20 already written because I was so eager to write them. Maybe, with the outline, I can speed up my updates. I hope that will be the case. I love all of you, and will love you more if you review.**

**Love,**

**Princess Antanasia the Vampire**

"Dimka! Dimitri Hathaway! Come here! Right. Now." I called angrily.

I heard his quick footsteps rushing towards me. He looked at me with wide, "innocent" eyes. I held up a foam dart with a suction cup at the end. I could see the gears in his head turning as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"Where did you find that?" He stammered.

"It hit me in the arm." I snapped.

He looked everywhere except at me. He knew he was in trouble. We stood there in silence. After a moment, he plucked the dart out of my hand and sighed.

"I'll go to my room." He surrendered.

I quirked a smile. I sighed.

"No need. Just give me the gun." I told him.

For at second it looked as if he were going to protest but decided against it lest I take the toy _and_ send him to his room. He handed me the orange and yellow gun and scampered off to play with something a little less prone to making me mad.

I jogged to my room to put away the surprisingly heavy toy.

After securing it on the top shelf of my closet, I went to talk to Lissa.

%%%

"Liss, could I speak to you?" I asked softly.

She looked at me curiously, then nodded. We walked to hers (and – shudder – Christian's) room. She closed the door behind us, as usual, reading me perfectly.

"I need to take a leave- of- absence." I whispered.

Lissa looked confounded.

"But…why?" She asked, sounding a little hurt.

"There something personal that I have to take care of."

"You want to leave me and you don't even trust me enough to tell me why?"

"It's just something I have to take care of. And it's not as if I'm leaving forever, or abandoning you or something!"

"I can't believe you!"

"Just let me take a short leave, a couple of weeks at the most." I was pleading and she took notice.

"Why?" She asked again, speaking in a softer tone.

I looked away. I hated not telling her, but I just wanted to go off on my own, find and meet my father. It was something that I needed to do by myself.

"Please, Liss. Just grant me leave and let it go."

At this point, she was asking because she wanted to know what I was keeping from her as opposed to before when she wanted the information to determine whether or not I was allowed to leave. Through the bond, I felt that she was going to deny me whatever I said anyway, I said,

"Forget it."

She looked at me as if I were being unreasonable. Ironic. She was going to deny me leave because she was puerile enough to be hurt that I didn't want to tell her _one thing_ about my life, and she thought _I_ was unreasonable. I started for the door.

"Ro-_ose_!" She whined.

"Later, Liss."

I was halfway through the door when she pulled me back. Or tried to. No matter what her beliefs about moroi and physical combat, there was no way that she, or any moroi for that matter, could hold back a dhampir, especially a guardian.

I allowed her to draw me back into the room.

"What?" I snarled.

I felt a little bit of Spirit's darkness seep through her and without giving it a second thought, I drew it into myself. It added to my already present anger, but when it left, it drained the rest with it. Now calm, I asked in a more amiable manner,

"What?"

"Tell me why you 'need' to go." She commanded calmly.

I opened my mouth but fought the compulsion just in time.

"How dare you!" I growled savagely.

"Why won't you just tell me what the hell is wrong!" She cried.

"Because saying it out loud would make it final and give me false hope." I whispered.

She looked smug as if this confirmed her theory. I stopped ignoring the thoughts and feelings pressing on me through the bond. I narrowed my eyes at their content.

"This is not just some half- assed attempt to save Dimitri." My voice was low and dangerous.

"So you have _'information'_ this time? You're not gonna be running blindly around G-d- knows- where like last time?"

"Last time was five- almost six- years ago. And it's not even about Dimitri! It's about my dad!"

Didn't mean to say _that_. Lissa stopped dead.

"Your… _dad_!" She gulped.

She was astonished. With every right to be.

"Yeah. My mom told me his name." I admitted, drawing lines in the carpet with the toe of my Converse.

"Why didn't you just _say_ that!"

"For the reason I told you."

Her decision was wavering. She wanted me to find my dad, but she didn't want me to leave her alone.

"You won't be alone." I promised. "You'll have Adam. Not to mention Craig won't let anything happen to you. If there is anything that wants to hurt you that makes it through Christian incinerating it first, of course."

She blinked at me. Then again.

"Who is he?"

"A dude named Ibrahim Mazur."

"I've heard of him by reputation. Goes by Abe, and is known for getting his way a lot. Rumors of illegal business surround him. He's kind of a shady character. You sure that was the name?"

"Yeah…"

Illegal business? I couldn't believe my mom would hook up with someone like that.

"Illegal business?" I asked to be sure I'd heard correctly.

"Yeah, but nothing anyone can prove."

Wow…

"I want to come with you."

Should've seen that one coming.

"No. I have no definite info besides his name and what you just told me. I don't know how dangerous it will or won't be. Considering that it's _my_ life, it'll probably be very. As your Guardian and best friend, I can't let you come."

"I'm coming with you, wherever you go." She insisted.

There was no changing her mind.

"Fine. It'll be just like old times, me and you, alone, out in the world." I conceded.

"Alone? How do you figure that? You can't leave Dimka, Christian won't let me go anywhere without him, and Adam and Craig won't just abandon their charges, namely Christian and me. Nope. There is no way we can go just the two of us."

Dammit the girl had a point.

"Fine. If you can get them to be agreeable about following me on what will likely be a wild- goose- chase, then you can come. But you get one word of protest from any of them, I'm going on my own. _Maybe_ I'll take Dimka. Deal?"

"Deal."

%%%

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Get the hell away from me."

"Touchy, touchy." Admonished Adam.

"Go. Away."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"No, someone else is just an annoying idiot who won't stop pestering me about one hook up."

"You're just upset because Dimka called me 'daddy.'"

He was right. I would give him that much. He sat down next to me.

"Please talk to me." He pleaded.

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Come on… You know he didn't do it on purpose."

"Have you ever heard of something called a Freudian slip, Adam? My son wishes you were his father."

"Then why don't you let me?"

"Because I _love_ his father Adam! And so- help- me- G-d, I will not let you replace Dimitri!"

Adam stiffened. After a pregnant pause he got up and left.

%%%

"There was not one word of protest!"

"How many of them did you compel?" I teased.

We fell into comfortable laughter.

"I'm glad you're coming, Liss." I told her.

"I'm glad too."

Dimka popped out of nowhere.

"Mommy, Gramma is leaving, and she wants to say bye." He reported.

I went to bid my mother farewell. When I got to her she was shaking hands with Craig. He stepped back to allow me access. I hugged my mom tightly.

"You'll find him somewhere in Russia. Siberia, most likely. If you can't find, try to get in touch with the alchemist in the region. He has connections with them." She whispered in my ear.

I internally shuddered. I _hated_ the alchemists.

"Bye, mom."

"Bye, sweetie."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN/ Hey! I know it's been **_**such**_** a long time, but I've been sooo busy lately. Here's a special long one to make you all feel better. Yes I know some of you are going to freak at the RosexAdam scene, but Adam deserves it. I promise, Dimitri DOES COME BACK! Plus a little Adrian action towards the beginning here…Enjoy!**

I wished I was anywhere but where I was. Elite court functions sucked. Well, when you attend as security, they do. Standing against a wall was never a tremendous amount of fun, but standing against a wall watching people eat while you're starving and wishing you'd eaten before is awful. That, and Adam was the only one who was relatively close to me at all. I hadn't had a real conversation with him I days and wasn't about to break my silent streak now. My nose itched. My left foot was asleep. My hair was falling out of its bun. Minor nuisances, things I was unable to take care of. All in all, I was _mis_-_er_-_able_. I suspected that my misery was about to be relieved when I noticed Adrian Ivashkov heading on over. Holding a heaping plate of what the bastard knew to be my favorite salad, which he did, in fact, hand to me.

"Marry me." I groaned, beginning to stuff my face.

"Ask me again when you're in your right mind and acting sane. Then we'll see."

"How am I not acting sane?" Except, through the mouthful of lettuce, tomato, chicken and other delicious components of the salad, it sounded like, "Ow m I no atin thane?"

Yet Adrian understood. He always understood. Everything. If there was ever going to be anyone else for me, it would be Adrian, not Adam. But I doubted the possibility.

"I heard about your upcoming trip."

"So my going to find my father is insanity?"

"Your father? I must have missed that part."

"Then what did you hear and from whom?"

"I heard that you were going off on a reckless trip to nowhere in particular to get away from Adam. Exactly like last time. But last time it wasn't to get away from Adam…It was to get away from…well, you know. But the concept is the same."

I wished everyone would stop bringing up the last time. The time when I ran away, just after having Dimka. I had left him with Lissa, with a note that said I couldn't deal with life…That I couldn't deal with being a mother. But what I had left out was that I couldn't handle being the mother of Dimitri's child. Lissa had sent Adam after me. He found me before I left the country and brought me back. Lissa did a huge healing on me, cleansing me of what psychotherapists would call post partum depression, but what Lissa and I recognized as Spirit darkness I had pulled from her. It still plagued me. I had nightmares about having left and not having ever known my Dimka. I had been naïve and stupid, thinking if I just went and killed Dimitri, the pain would go away.

"Where did you hear _that_!"

"I heard my dad tell my mom. He said that he heard it from the queen who heard it from Lissa." He admitted.

I blanched and dropped the now- clean plate. Adrian caught it deftly and handed it to a passing waiter.

"The queen or I hate to say it, your dad, I can see saying that, but Lissa _so_ would not have said that!"

"That's what I thought when I heard him say it."

"It's an enigma."

"So, your dad?"

"Yeah. My dad. Some dude called Ibrahim Mazur."

"_Ibrahim Mazur_!"

"Uh…yeah."

"As a moroi concerned for your safety, I advise you to drop this."

"Let me guess. Bad rep gangster type dude?"

"How did you guess?"

"Lissa." We said together.

"So are you going to let it go?"

"Hell no! Adrian, this is my _father_ we're talking about, the contributor of half of my DNA! I can't just _drop_ it!"

"Please, Rose, I'm begging you, _let this be_."

"What's so bad about this guy that _you_ are _begging_?"

"He's dangerous, think of him as the Al Capone of the Moroi world. Please don't go."

"Al Capone, like the crime boss of America in the twenties? Did time in _Alcatraz_?"

"Yes. Exactly like him, except he's never, to my knowledge been to Alcatraz, let alone imprisoned there. Or imprisoned anywhere, because no one can prove he's doing anything illegal. This, come to think of it, was what happened with Capone, also." I couldn't help laughing.

"Until they got him for tax evasion." I said, surprising him with my knowledge.

"Yep. Listen, I have to go and do some mandatory 'mingling' but I'll be back as soon as possible. Kay?" He kissed my cheek and took off before I could answer.

%%%

"Some days, I _hate_ being a guardian." I complained, rubbing at my feet.

"I know, Rose, I know." Lissa put her arm around my shoulder. "I hate that I need for you to be a guardian."

"Oh, don't go into this again, Liss. Moroi should totally not be helpless, I agree, but you guys would be extinct if you didn't have guardians."

"You don't _know_ that. We might've adapted, had dhampirs not existed or if the system hadn't been set up." She protested for her cause.

"You know who you sound like? You sound exactly like Tasha Ozera. You need to stop right now, or I may get the urge to smack you."

"But you never feel like slapping Tasha. Do you, 'cause you better not or Christian might _kill_ you –"

"No, I like Tasha and never feel any inclination to strike her – but it's scarier when you talk about it because you don't command fire with your mind. Spirit is fantastic, but you have to admit, it's definitely not an offensive weapon, especially against a strigoi. Plus, no matter how gorgeous she is, or you are, she just looks more dangerous."

Lissa _humphed_ and allowed herself to fall back onto my bed. We sat in silence for a while, just leaning on each other comfortingly. Eventually, I got up and started peeling off my guardian formal wear and, in my bra and panties, went rooting around in my dresser drawers for a pair of clean pajamas. I found one, in the form of a bright tee shirt and black shorts. Lissa laughed as I clumsily struggled to keep my balance as I attempted to slip my left leg through the leg of the shorts. She laughed harder as I teetered dangerously off balance. She totally lost it to the hysterics when I fell on my butt. When Adam ran into the room, I thought he had come to see if I was all right and I started to forgive him for the things I irrationally blamed him for. Of course, that was until he saw the oh – so – comical sight of me on my butt and joined Lissa in the hysteria.

"Are you here for a _reason_?" I snapped, crossing my arms angrily.

Holding in his laughter, he gasped, "Liss, Christian is coming down with something and is upset that he might not be able to leave with us to Siberia tomorrow night."

Lissa looked at me fretfully, worried I wouldn't want to give up our girl time for Christian.

"_Go_, silly. Be with your husband. Tend to him like a good little housewife." I teased. She stuck her tongue out and left me and Adam alone.

"You know, Rose, you look good like that." Adam said nonchalantly.

"Like what, dumbass?" Sprawled on the floor?" I retorted.

"No, but that's good too. I'm talking about without pants on."

"You pervert!" I squeeled and tossed the discarded pile of my guardian formal wear at him.

"Hey, I just call 'em like I see 'em." I blew a raspberry at him and he entered more into the room and closed the door.

"That doesn't make you any less of a pervert."

"A pervert that you slept with."

"Well you take it where you can get in when it's been five and a half years."

"Five and a half – that takes the timeline right back to –"

"Yes, you were the first since Dimitri, and good g-d I'd been missing out all those years."

Then he kissed me with no warning, bringing an abrupt end to our sort – of flirtation. I responded with passion and knew I shouldn't have. When this was over we would both hate me. I could live with the self loathing, but I knew I was not strong enough to deal with Adam hating me.

"We both know where this is going, and we both know that it won't change anything except for the worse." I warned him. He nodded against my neck, which he was attending to with his fiery mouth. "Do you still want to go through with this?" I gasped.

"Even if I didn't want to, I don't think I could stop myself at this point." He panted.

%%%

"Oh g-d, we screwed up." I murmured into Adam's chest.

"I know. But it was fun."

"Just 'fun?' Not 'mind – blowing,' or 'earth – shattering,' or even just 'great?'"

"It was all of those things, plus phenomenal."

"Much better. Now you need to get your gorgeous butt outta hear before someone realizes what we're up to."

"I already spent the night in your room. What are a few more minutes?"

"Plus you have first shift with Lissa today. I believe she plans to be at the Macy's blowout sale before Macy's opens. She' needs' new clothes for the trip. I'll be there at noon to relieve you. Have 'fun.'" And with that, I shoved him out of my bed.

%%%

"Flight 40275 to Siberia, first class, is currently boarding."

And with that simple statement we were off to see the wizard. Or vampire as the case may be.

It had been tough for Adam and I to get our silver stakes through security, but we managed to pass them off as charms that were supposedly to ward off air sickness. Yes, Adam and I, not Craig. Christian had needed to bail because of the stomach bug he had caught. We think it came from bad blood his drink was spiked with at that stupid function.

We hustled on to the plane and Dimka was met with more than a few coos and compliments. I simply glowed, not acting when playing the part of proud and loving mother. Once we were all seated somewhat comfortably, I began to think about my conversation with Adrian the other night.

"Lissa, how come you told the queen that I was running off again?"

"What! Why on earth would I have said that! Who told you I'd said that!"

"Adrian."

"Who heard it from…?"

"His dad."

"Who heard it from…?"

"The queen."

"I rest my case. 'We're going on vacation.' Got lost in the translation into Ivashkov language. Suddenly it became, 'That irresponsible guardian, Rose Hathaway is running away again.'" We both laughed. Adam poked his head through between our seats.

"Don't knock the Ivashkovs. My great grandmother was one." We all fell into comfortable laughter. I rested my head on Lissa's shoulder and was asleep before the plane took off the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Part One

**AN/ This chapter is divided in half. There will be a second and crucial AN at the beginning of Part Two. Trust in me – this is a DxR story! I promise, Adam is only a detour in Rose's life.**

**Disclaimer: How many times will you make me say this? I know that I don't own Richelle Mead's characters. Luckily, Adam and Dimka are mine!**

"Sleeeeeeep." I groaned.

"Braaaaains." Adam teased.

"I _hate _zombie movies." Lissa complained.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Sleepy." I pulled him from the rented stroller into my embrace.

"Mommy, too, baby." Jet lag sucks. It was especially hard on our little group because of our already screwed up sleep schedule.

"You know what I hate, Liss?" Adam asked.

"What?"

"Red–eye flights." We all let out little half laughs.

"Especially connections." I agreed. This was just about the smallest airport I'd ever been at. I had never realized just exactly how far away Russia is. We had landed in Moscow and our connecter flight to Novosibirsk was way too long. I wanted to pass out. I vaguely wondered whether I should call my mother. Nah. Not worth it. Right now, my priority was making it to some motel before I died of exhaustion.

%%%

We did end up making it, but it took us a while to get settled. Lissa, Adam, Dimka and I were in a two bedroom suite in a cheap yet respectable hotel. Lissa was fast asleep in one bedroom, Adam on the pullout couch in the main room and Dimka and I sharing the bed in the second room. However, I couldn't sleep. I mean. I was so close to finding my _father_! My insomnia was actually a pretty big problem since I was tired as hell. Making sure not to wake my baby, I tiptoed out of the room.

I crept over to the pullout bed on which Adam slept.

"Adam," I whispered in his ear, waking him gently.

"Wha-? Is everythin' allrigh'?"

"I'm scared." I confessed. Immediately, he was awake and holding me. Just like that, we were close again.

"It's okay, Rose." He promised. I nodded against him. Just then, I had a scary revelation – I loved Adam. Not that I was going to tell him that. I squeezed him tightly.

"I want you, Adam." In response, he kissed me and started to tug at the bottom of my sweatshirt. Reluctantly, I moved away from him so he could slide his hands up the skin of my stomach. Through the dark, I saw him smile slightly when he found no obstructing bra. Through my hoodie, I pressed his hands to me.

The sex that followed was almost bliss.

Part Two

**AN/ No, it's not permanent. No, she's not actually in love with Adam. Well, maybe a little. But this **_**is **_**RosexDimitri and will never be anything else.**

I blinked blearily. I was curled up against Adam who was awake and looked like happier wasn't possible. I got to make him that way. I smiled. "Morning, sleepyhead." He murmured into my ear.

"How long have you been up?"

"For a while."

"Is anyone else awake?"

"Just us." In that case… I leaned up to kiss him. Things started to heat when I heard the sound I wanted to hear the least.

"Mooooommy!" I peeled off of Adam and went to my son. He had been in the process of coming to me and we met in the middle. I lifted him up and kissed him good morning.

"Hey, baby." He just wrapped his arms around me. I laughed. "Come, baby, let's have breakfast." He nodded into my neck. Maneuvering was awkward because Dimka wasn't letting go of me, but I got to the room phone and called for room service. It's really sad, but I knew what to order for everyone. I decided to treat Dimka and I got him chocolate chip pancakes – his favorite.

%%%

Once everyone was awake, we started to make plans. We were all arguing animatedly when the phone interrupted. I answered reluctantly.

"Mrs. Dragomir?" The room was under Lissa's name.

"No, this is her…sister, Rose Hathaway." The desk clerk cleared her throat.

"Yes, well, your car is outside." I was a little stunned.

"But I didn't –" She hung up.

I explained the situation to my friends and we cautiously headed down to the lobby, Adam and I in front and in back of Lissa and Dimka. When we got outside, sure enough there was a black Lincoln outside with a man waiting against it. A moroi. I approached cautiously. As I got close, the moroi asked,

"Rosemary Hathaway?" I nodded.

"And who are you?"

"I work for Abe Mazur. He told me to pick up you and your party and deliver you to him." I glanced at Lissa. She shrugged. Adam nodded. Dimka blinked innocently and said demurely,

"If he's lying you could always kill him later." The moroi man blinked, astounded.

"My son, Dimka." I explained. He continued to blink rapidly. "Well, are we going or not?" I asked. That seemed to snap him out of it.

"Right." He opened the door and I slid into the back seat and Lissa came in after me. We situated Dimka in between us so he could use the lap belt, because a shoulder belt would only kill him. Adam rode shotgun. We headed off.

%%%

"It's been _hours_!" I complained.

"Mommy, I'm _hungry_." Dimka whined. I fished in my bag and found a bag of potato chips. I handed them to Dimka who tore open the bag delightedly.

"No crumbs in the nice man's car." I warned. In the rearview mirror, I saw the moroi – Tad – smile. Dimka made a noncommittal noise and dug in.

"Sorry." I muttered to Tad, who laughed. Lissa had dozed off and Adam was on his way to sleep, too. "You got kids?" I asked.

"Yeah. A girl, a little bit older than Dimka, I'd say, guessing Dimka is about five."

"Yeah, he's five."

"Audrey's six. And a half." We laughed.

"Are you with her mother?" Tad shook his head, looking a little melancholy. I didn't press.

I fell the into sleep.

%%%

"Adrian?"

"Who else visits your dreams, Little Dhampir?" We were in a clichéd little rose garden. Sigh. We both laughed for a while. "How are you, Rose?" he asked seriously.

"I'm alright. In the car on the way to see my dad. Scared as hell. Nervous. Anxious. Excited. Oh Adrian…" I hugged him.

"It's alright, Little Dhampir." We stayed like that for a bit. With me tucked under his arm. I felt safe. Adrian was a friend. A good one, and he would always be there. Then the peace was disturbed.

'_Rose. Rose. Rose!'_

"Someone is trying to wake me up." I said ruefully before the dream dissolved.

%%%

"Rose, we're here." I jumped into alertness and out of the car. I raced to the house that belonged to the driveway we were parked in.

"Rose! Wait for us." Adam called.

"Why!" I asked, slowing. We all laughed. I allowed my friends catch up to me. While Lissa handed me a sleeping Dimka, Tad led us into the house. I walked slowly now, realizing that I had run because slow caused suspense and trepidation. I picked up my pace. Tad opened a set of oak double doors. I hadn't realized how nice of a house we were in.

I stepped into the room opened to us and for a second I thought it was empty. But in the corner, there was a desk, behind which a moroi sat. He had dark hair and eyes and looked every bit as gangster as Adrian had described him as. Complete with gold wire hoop earrings. G-d. When he saw me, he stood.

"Rosemary?"

"Rose." I corrected. He studied me.

"Janine told me that you are beautiful, but as she has neglected to send me pictures, I didn't realize just how much so." I blushed. "And this must be Dimitri?" Now he studied Dimka's sleeping face.

"Dimka." I corrected. Not good with nicknames, I guess.

"He doesn't look like you. Who is his father?" I swallowed.

"Dimitri Belikov." I whispered.

"Belikov…I know of him…I know his family…They're dhampirs." I nodded. "Then how is it possible?" Abe was studying Dimka intensely. "It must be possible because this child strongly resembles the family. Extraordinary. How…?"

"I don't know. We weren't careful because we didn't think anything would happen. Next thing I know, I'm pregnant." I admitted. He nodded.

"I see." Then suddenly, "Tad, prepare a car." Tad left. I'd forgotten about him.

"What –"

"Dimka deserves to meet his paternal family, does he not? And _I'm_ certainly not going to deprive _them_ of _him_." He said as Dimka stirred, looking adorable. My jaw dropped.

Dimitri's _family_!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN/ Hello out there! It has been over half a year since I posted in this, but I'm back. After battling harsh writer's block and severe perfectionism, I finally present to you, my loyal fans, Chapter Eight of With Him.**

Disclaimer: Not mine.

The drive was considerably shorter than it had been to my father's place. That still sounded weird. My father. My _father_. _My_ father. The man who… I stopped that thought. Didn't need to think about my mom doing _that_.

Every nerve ending in my body was a live wire. I was hyped up and terrified. What was I going to _say_? What was I going to _do_? How would I make them _believe_ me? How was I supposed to convince them that Dimitri and I – two dhampirs – had a child when _I_ only had theories myself? What would they _say_? What would _I_ say! Would they believe me? What are they like, are they nice people? Are they exactly like Dimitri described them to me? He sisters, his mother and grandmother. His little nephew – who, now thinking about it, is no longer so little.

I couldn't even think how hurt Adam had been. Couldn't think about the look on his face when he told me he wouldn't come.

Will they look at my baby and see what I and clearly my father sees? Dimitri's face and hair and smile and would they look at me and see that he has my hands and ears and mischievous streak. No, no, no. You can't see a mischievous streak. But my hands and ears.

The car stopped.

_Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap._ What the hell was I going to _do_?

"I can't do it." I whispered to Lissa who was holding my hand supportively.

"Yes you can, Rose. I promise. You're so strong. You can do anything."

"I can't. I can't even make _myself_ believe that two dhampirs can have a baby."

"I know. I've been talking to Adrian about it, theorizing." Then she whispered something in my ear. Something that more sense to me than anything I had ever heard. I looked at my best friend in wonder.

"Can you do it now, Rose?" She asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah. I think I can."

I got out of the car still holding Lissa's hand. Dimka was immersed in a serious conversation with Abe. Adam was standing, looking sullen. Tad was still in the car, talking into a Bluetooth. Abe finished with Dimka and they both came over to me. I let go of Lissa's hand to meet them half way.

"Good luck, my dear. Tad called ahead. They're expecting you." He kissed my hand and moved for the car.

"You're not coming with me?" I asked, irrationally upset.

"No, my dear, I'm needed elsewhere. I'm sorry. I'll see you soon, I expect." Then he walked away.

"Bye, Dad." I whispered, just to see how it sounded.

I turned back to Lissa.

"Let's get this over with." She took my hand again and smiled. I smiled back wanly and she pulled me into a hug.

"Mommy, who was the man who just left?" Dimka asked. I smiled at him, a real smile and let go of Lissa to take his smile fingers in mine. With Dimka's hand in one of my own and Lissa's in my other, I walked up the path to the little house.

Lissa had to knock for me. I picked up Dimka and held him to me. He fidgeted a little, but settled against my shoulder.

"Maybe they're not here." I suggested. "Maybe they had to run a last minute errand. We should go. This was a bad idea. Lissa, what if they _do_ believe me? What happens if they want to take my baby from me?"

Lissa looked at me as if I had just grown a second head. She raised her hand to knock again, but the door opened.

The woman was pretty. She was older, late forties, early fifties. And looking at her, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was Dimitri's mother.

"You must be Rose and Vasilisa. Mr. Mazur told us you'd be coming." She spoke with a quiet authority. Her voice was mild and pleasant. I studied her for another moment and I saw Dimitri as well as my son in her face.

"Come in." She gestured inside the house. Lissa stepped into the house and I cautiously followed. Dimitri's mother led me into her house and into a cozy family room. Lissa sat on a sofa and I sat next to her with Dimka on my lap. I held him a little too tightly. He gave me a questioning look.

"Sorry, Baby." I murmured. Dimitri's mother sat on a chair opposite us.

"Well, I was told to expect a moroi and a guardian whose visit would be dramatically important to my family. Well?"

"Did my father really say that?" I shook my head. "I only just met him, but from what I can tell it seems he has a bit of a flair for the melodramatic. Probably where I get it from." I laughed. "Anyway, Mrs. Belikov –"

"Please, call me Olena." I nodded.

"Olena, I knew your son when I was at St. Vladimir's." She closed her eyes. Her expression became pained. This would be hard for her. She took a deep breath.

"Rose…Hathaway?" I nodded. "He mentioned you in a few of his letters. He was your mentor? Yes. I remember. You ran away from the school? The both of you, yes?" Lissa and I both blushed. She grinned.

"Yeah. Well. Yes. He was my mentor…but we also…became…involved." Olena nodded.

"I sort of figured since you came here." Then she looked pointedly at Dimka. "He looks like my Dimka." I nodded again.

"I only have theories. I don't know what happened or how it happened, but Dimitri was the only one I had ever been with…like that." Olena looked at me strangely. "I'm not crazy. Really I'm not."

"I don't think you are." Olena said kindly.

"Thanks. Um…well, by the time I even knew I was pregnant, he was…gone." She took in a sharp breath. My own chest hurt with the acute pain of the death of my love. Lissa put her arm around me. Dimka was uncharacteristically silent. "When he was born, I couldn't call him anything other than Dimitri. I loved your son, Olena. Oh god, did I love him. He fought so hard…he made me leave him…he told them to drag me out…they pulled me by my arms…I couldn't save him…Oh, god…I couldn't save him…I tried…I couldn't…" I began to sob. Olena crossed the room and put her arms around me.

"Shh, it's alright." She murmured. She was crying, too. We cried together for a while. When neither of us had any more tears, she stood. She looked at Dimka, who had escaped the waterworks and was now sitting on Lissa who looked sympathetic. He looked back at her, with her son's eyes. Her own eyes. She held out a hand for him and he cautiously approached her. She grabbed and squashed him into a hug. She finally let him go after several minutes and said,

"So tell me some of these theories you mentioned."

-/-

We were sitting in the kitchen, sipping hot cocoa. Dimka was playing on the floor with his cousins Paul, who was almost twice his age, and Zoya, Paul's younger sister, and Dimka's own age and lastly Anastasiya who was a little less than a year younger than he. Lissa had left to take a walk, but I knew she wanted to give me some time with the people who in another life, one where Dimitri and I hadn't been born dhampirs, could have been my in – laws. I had told Lissa's theories to Olena, most of them having to do with Spirit and my death and revival. She had nodded and inserted her comments when appropriate. Two of Dimitri's sisters, Karolina and Sonya, the respective mothers of the children on the floor with my son, had also shown up. Olena had filled them in rapid Russian. They're reactions had varied. But they had both been as quick to believe as Olena.

"And you're still a guardian?" Sonya asked when I finished. I nodded mutely. Conversation turned lighter, then. About me, my life. My job, my relationship with Dimitri. Everything I was fine with. Until that last one. I almost cried again. We were talking about Dimitri when someone who could only be the last Belikov daughter along with another woman. Olena looked mortified suddenly.

"Rose, this is my youngest daughter, Viktoria. With her is Marina, a family friend. Viktoria, Marina, this is Rose Hathaway. She knew Dimka at St. Vladimir's." My Dimka looked up at his name, but turned back to play when he realized we weren't talking about him.

"Knew is a little bit of an understatement." I said at the same exact time Viktoria said,

"Marina is a bit more than a family friend." Olena closed her eyes, exasperated. She said something in Russian to Viktoria, who turned bright red. Marina frowned and looked angrily at me. Sonya leaned over and whispered in my ear,

"Dimitri and Marina were together before he left for the US. They never officially broke up. He just wrote to her less and less frequently until he just stopped. From what you said before, his letters started tapering off a few months after he became your mentor." Oh. I frowned.

"Let's not have her find out that last part." I whispered back to Sonya. I looked up to see Marina glaring at me with utter loathing on her face. I was determined not to sink to her petty level in front of Dimitri's family. I stood and, with my face carefully composed into my guardian mask, I held out my hand and said,

"Nice to meet you." My tone wasn't friendly, but it wasn't mean, either. She just focused her glare on my hand. She said something in Russian to Viktoria, then turned on her heel and stormed out. We all silently watched her leave. Once she was gone, Olena sighed.

Fantastic. I hadn't been here a day and already I had an enemy.


End file.
